What is your role at Scottish Rite for Children? 
I am the Rheumatology department clinical manager. I serve the nurses, physicians and nurse practitioners of the Rheumatology team by planning, evaluating and adjusting practices. I get to help make sure they have what they need, while also taking care of our patients and their families. When opportunities for improvement come up, I communicate with patient families, as well as other departments within Scottish Rite to facilitate progress. On a daily basis, I tackle emails, attend meetings, communicate with our patient families and coordinate processes to develop the best experience possible for our patients and staff. 
  
What led you to Scottish Rite? How long have you worked here? 
I remember visiting Scottish Rite on an elementary school field trip and noticing how happy everyone was to work here. I’ve been a part of the Scottish Rite family for about 20 years. I was away for a little under a year to attend a fast track L.V.N. program. 
 
What do you enjoy most about Scottish Rite?
The people! I love helping our patients, nurses and nursing externs, as well as my co-workers and friends. Everyone who has any relation to Scottish Rite has an amazing story to tell and I love being a part of it.
 
What was your first job? What path did you take to get here?
My first job was as a front office staff member at an insurance agency at age 14. I filed papers, processed payments, made coffee, etc. After six years of working in the insurance world, I decided I needed a change. I applied for an appointment secretary role at what is now the registration desk here at Scottish Rite. After a couple of years, I applied for the pathfinder coordinator role in the Ambulatory Care department where I helped to coordinate the clinic volunteers. I then decided to get a nursing degree, which lead me to obtaining my L.V.N. and later my R.N. license. 

What do you like to do in your spare time?
My spare time is split between my family and church activities. My 15-person immediate family meets every Sunday for lunch without fail (except during pandemics) to catch up with each other’s lives and work through any stressful situations. I am involved with different groups within my church, including the audio-visual team which meets at 6 a.m. on Sunday mornings. It’s evidence of God’s miracles when a nurse can learn how to run lighting boards, video stream and other technical hardware.
 
Three words to best describe you:

• The first word would be analytical. I always want to know the why and how something works.
• The second word would be optimistic. Attitude is everything and I want to motivate and engage as many people as possible.
• The third word would be practical. Until recently, I was the proud owner of a 2004 truck which only had 245,000 miles on it. It served me well.

What would you do (for a career) if you weren’t doing this?
Growing up I always wanted to be a teacher, nurse or a counselor. If I had not become a nurse, I think I would be a teacher because I love sharing what I know and I’d still getting to take care of children.
 
What’s the most adventurous thing you’ve ever done?
The most adventurous thing I have ever done is climb multiple Mayan Ruins throughout Central America and Mexico. I am afraid of heights and some of the enormous pyramids rise as high as 230 feet above the jungle. The steps are quite high and narrow which makes the return trip to the ground tricky.